Here are two drills specifically designed to help your team cause a turnover.
There is no faster method for changing the momentum of a football game than a turnover. A winning team turns the ball over much less than a losing one. There are several drills which a coach can use to help their defense create turnovers during games.
Defensive Backs
Coaches need to teach their defensive backs to catch the ball at its highest point. A lot of players, at the high school level, try to catch with their body and not with their hands. By practicing the end zone fade and focusing the corners on catching the ball at its apex, a coach can improve the players’ chances of success (Diagram 1).
When an offensive player gets his hands on the football, it is the index finger which controls the ball. The defensive back needs to be taught to pull back on the index finger, with one hand, while stripping, ripping and chopping at the ball with the other hand.
Linebackers
When a first or second level pass defender is in zone coverage with coverage help over the top, linebackers can be aggressive and attack the ball, trying to beat the receiver to the ball after it leaves the quarterback’s hands.
Often, the QB will not see a linebacker dropping into coverage or throw to the space that a blitzing linebacker came from. If a defensive end is dropping into a disguised coverage, the QB may throw the ball in his direction.
All Defensive Players
A great drill to practice is where the defense punches out the ball from behind. For example, a ball handler is in front with the ball in his right hand. The defender directly behind punches the ball between the offensive player’s arm and his body. You then switch sides and repeat the drill. This drill is especially effective for defensive ends to strip a quarterback running a bootleg or while he is scrambling.
Some of the best moments to cause a turnover occur during tackling. The first tackler must secure the ball carrier from gaining further yardage. Subsequent defenders then punch, rip, strip and recover the ball. Coaches must make sure that the tackle is of utmost importance and that the strip of the ball is secondary.
The Tip Drill (Diagram 2) can help your secondary react to a deflected pass. Have two lines of receivers facing one another about 10 yards apart and one line a yard or two in front. The QB throws the ball and the first person coming across tips the ball. The second line player must react and catch the ball off the tip.
As John Heisman (1869-1936) once said, for offensive players, “it is better to have died a small boy than to fumble this football.” The reason behind this is that the loss of the football not only gives the opposing team an offensive opportunity, but it also changes the momentum of the game. As defensive coaches, it is very important that we teach our players how to cause turnovers and turn the momentum of the game.
About the Author: Lance Heron has coached at the high school, Division II, and on a professional level. He is currently defensive co-ordinator at Clarence Fulton High School, in Vernon, British Columbia. Heron is also co-owner of Professional Football Showcase and the Can-Am Bowl, designed to have both American and Canadian athletes compete against each other in an all-star game setting. His website is www.professionalfootballshowcase.ca.